Laguna Blanca School - 4125 Paloma Drive - Santa Barbara - California - 93110
Volume XIX
Monday April 8, 2013
www.thefourthestate.net
Students Reveal Their Talents
Issue 5
Break-in on Campus Leads to New Security Measures By ZOE SERBIN “The maintenance crew and all the leadership of the school was really supportive and we got things up and running quickly. It’s unfortunate but these kinds of things happen and we’ve learned our lesson for the future.” -Blake Dorfman
PHOTO: TARA BROUCQSAULT
A SINGING DUO: Sophomores Chris Benwitt and Hannah White sing “A-Team” at the annual Talent Show in Spaulding Auditorium on Feb. 28. By JESSIE DUSEBOUT
L
eading up to the date of the annual Upper School Talent Show the participants practiced for hours. When the date arrived students shared their songs, musical pieces, and performances with their peers and teachers on Feb. 28. The performers included Daria Etezadi, Anastasia Antonova,
Innovative Speakers Share with AP Science Classes By JESSIE DUSEBOUT In addition to the regular textbook reading, homework problems, and tests that are expected from a course like AP Biology, their class’ instructor, Ms. Staci Richard, invites speakers to talk about topics relevant to both what the students are learning in class and real world issues. Hani Zeini, the founder of Sientra who has worked in the Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery market for eleven years, came and spoke to the AP Biology class. Mr. Zeini shared with the students about the huge advancements that are being made in the medical field. Dr. Richard Lea came to speak with the AP Biology and AP Environmental Science classes on March 20 about global climate change. He presented an overview of climate change along with educating them on the changes that have already occurred over past decades. “I appreciate that Ms. Richard brings in guest speakers because often what we learn about in the text book the speaker will come into talk about and how it applies to real life,” said senior Anastasia Antonova.
Margaret Lazarovits, Helena Davila, Christian Kahmann, John Puzder, Courtney O’Donnell, Conrad Perry, Hannah White, Chris Benwitt, and Ian Bankhead, and Alexa Davenport. Daria performed a version of the “Pitch Perfect” cups act to the songs “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone” and “Chasing Cars.” Anastasia, Margaret,
and Helena performed “Ho Hey.” Anastasia played guitar, while Margaret played the ukulele, and Helena played the cello. While dressed in a bath robe, Christian sang “It’s a Lovely Day.” John and Courtney sang and played guitar to “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” Conrad ‘Rick-Rolled’ the school.
Hannah and Chris sang and played guitar to “A-team.” Benji and Alexa played “Claire de Lune “ and “All About Johnny” on the piano, respectively. Ian played a “Bach Cello Suite No. 1” on the viola. “It was great to see everyone’s talents. I thought everyone was really good,” said senior Brendon Nylen.
Mock Trial Wraps Up Season with Awards By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES Dressed for success, on Feb. 23, twenty-one of Laguna’s students gathered at the Courthouse. After preparing for nearly six months, the big day finally arrived. Laguna Blanca’s 2013 Mock Trial team was about to compete against several local high schools in Santa Barbara’s county-wide Mock Trial Competition. The Mock Trial Com-
petition is directed by California’s Constitutional Rights Foundation, an organization dedicated to teaching students about the judicial system in an active, participatory way. Team members had been practicing twice a week since late September. Ms. Martha Elliott, Laguna history teacher, has been coached the Mock Trial team for eight years. “I think it’s great to
Students who arrived at school on February 2 were greeted with an unfamiliar sight: the annex to the Isham Library and Nylen Research Center taped off with security tape, broken glass shattered on the ground, and a gaggle of uniformed officials and construction workers swarming the location. Laguna, as well as Vieja Valley School and other schools in the area, was subject to a series of break-ins that occurred on February 1 and 5. The extent of the damage is estimated to be in the thousands of dollars. “They took some old laptops the first time. The second time we believe they came back for the new iMacs, but we had them safely secured and they only managed to take three,” said Mr. Tyler Hodges, Head of
see the students blossom and go from being unsure of themselves to really knowing their role on the team,” said Ms. Elliott. The Defense had the task of representing Adrian Vega, a teenager accused of killing biker Cameron Douglas in a hit and run. The Prosecution’s job was to prove the defendant guilty. Continued on Page 3
the Upper School. “There are suspects that appear to be targeting schools that have computer equipment that are visible from a window,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Kelly Hoover told Noozhawk. The school proceeded by contacting the police who had been investigating the break-in at Vieja Valley. They have since “connected the thefts in the Santa Barbara area to a group of career criminals from the LA area,” Hodges said. Along with upgrading the security cameras and hiring a private security firm to patrol the school at night, Laguna has taken preventative measures to ensure the safety of the campus and technology.
• If you are the last one out of a room/building at the end of the day, lock it. •
Close all shades and blinds. If the shades are drawn there is a good likelihood that the burglars will pass a building by.
• Turn your computer off every night. A computer monitor glowing in the dark is like an invitation. •
Do not to leave laptops, iPads, iPods, or other electronics in plain sight.
Andrew Vignolo Named GLC Male Youth Leader By DARIA ETEZADI This time 20 years ago, Jamie Lynn Harder was flying back home following a ski trip with some close friends. That evening, Carole Harder received the news that she had lost her youngest daughter, Jamie Lynn. For years, the Harder family mourned the loss of Jamie, but Ms. Harder’s grief turned to inspiration and she went on to establish the Global Leadership Connection (GLC), a three-day conference that recognizes high school students, like her daughter, for their commitment to leadership.
Instagram Gains Popularity
Check out Laguna’s Instagrams. Are you missing out on the digital fun? Page 2.
Chick-fil-A Opens on State Chick-fil-A is at the center of a national political and social debate. Our readers chime in with their opinions. Page 3.
For the fifth year Laguna’s students participated in GLC under the guidance of faculty adviser Ms. Trish McHale. Juniors, who are nominated by faculty, begin GLC with an in-depth application, which includes a resume of their leadership experience and two short essays, describing significant moments in their lives when they were challenged as leaders. On Feb. 7, 122 students participated in the first day of GLC in Corwin Pavilion at UCSB, where they bonded with fellow junior leaders from area high schools including Dos Pueblos,
Nobody’s Asking For It
Are women at risk for attack because of what they wear? Page 6
The California Dream Act
Theater Students Compete
Should undocumented students receive financial aid from state universities? Page 7
Two days of competition, inspiration, and instruction unite high school students. Page 4.
The Good-Grade Pill Trickles Down
Bullying Poll Results
Check out what our students shared about bullying. Page 5
Santa Barbara Teen Star
Student is a top ten finalist in the Teen Star competition. Page 5
Students take prescription drugs to get better grades. Page 7
Decoding the Signs of Hacking
What is hacking? Who’s doing it? Should we be concerned? Page 8 &9
San Marcos, Bishop Diego, Santa Ynez and Lompoc by engaging in group discussions, and performing skits. They heard from speaker Dennis Patrick, a producer for the National GeoPHOTO: TRISH MCHALE graphic. On Feb. 17, LEADERSHIP WINNERS: From left, Brock Dickey of students partici- Santa Ynez High School, Bela Lafferty of Dos Pueblos High pated in inter- School, Andrew Vignolo of Laguna Blanca School and Anasviews by profes- tasia Kunz of San Marcos High School. sional members of the communiTop Male Youth Leader to Washington, D.C. ty at SBCC. The awards ceremony took of the Year award, which Mitsi Gamble and Grace place at Westmont Col- was accompanied by a Woolf also won Ambas$1000 scholarship and sador Awards for leaderlege on Feb. 24. Andrew received the an all-expense-paid trip ship excellence.
YouTube Viral Videos
What’s trending? Check out our favorites. Page 10
ON THE WEB
Before They Were Teachers
Updated sports scores for all seasonal sports
Sports
Polls of the week
Teachers give us a glimpse into their lives before Laguna. Page 11 Getting Swole. Squash. Volleyball. Golf. Tennis. Lacrosse.
Films & Videos
Slam Poetry & Playlists
Blogs & Reviews
Page 12 & 13
Your favorite songs and poets. Page 14
Kickboxing & Juicing
Stay in shape with us. Page 15
Spring into Spring
Trails and hikes and having fun. Page 16
Archived Issues Advertising forms www.thefourthestate.net
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The News
April 8, 2013
#LagunaBlancaSchool
By KARINNA CARRILLO & MACKENNA CONNOR
PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA
The use of social media is something that has changed this year. Clearly, social media has had a huge impact on the ways that companies and organizations build their brand’s personality. Laguna Blanca’s Facebook page not only helps attract people to the Laguna community, but also helps keep families and friends of our community in the loop of what is going on throughout both campuses. Along with our new Facebook page, Laguna recently created an Instagram account, which, like the Facebook page, keeps people from the community upto-date. Students and faculty post to the Instagram account pictures of students, sports and school events on both campuses which cover everything from students’ daily lives, to Laguna “firsts”, to various events. These snapshots provide an inside look on life at Laguna.
INSTANT UPLOAD: Laguna Blanca School’s Instagram displayed on a Droid phone in a student’s hand.
Laguna’s Instagram Photos
Freshman Valeria Rodriguez posted this picture of a photo booth picture taken on campus.
Senior Karinna Carrillo posted this picture of the Advisory Quiz Bowl.
lbsdrama, another Laguna Instagram, updates students on the happenings of the drama department.
Letter from the Editor
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Daria Etezadi SENIOR EDITORS Anastasia Antonova Olivia Berci Caitlin Connor Helena Davila Jessie Dusebout Zoe Serbin PHOTO EDITOR Anastasia Antonova BUSINESS MANAGER Karinna Carrillo COPY EDITOR Clarissa Coburn Kaylee Strachan ARTISTS Zoe Serbin WEB MASTERS Elijah Bittleston Edward Conk FILM MAKER Miles Crist STAFF MacKenna Connor Alex Hawker Scott Johnston Caty Lafitte Margaret Lazarovits Stephen McCaffery Kaylee Strachan Allison Lewis Towbes Kyle Van de Kamer
Dear Readers, This is it - the final stretch! Before we left for spring break, I couldn’t help but think of how little time we have left before the school year comes to an end. And now that we have returned to pull through the final quarter, I’m struck by how quickly this year has flown by. Granted, many have said this every year. But as a senior, the idea that many of us will soon deciding where we will call “home” for the next four years is incredibly daunting. I’ve been seized by this urge to live in the moment—to drop everything and go to the beach, or to have a picnic at the park during my lunch period. These last few months are going to pass by us so quickly, and then the year will be over. I know this time of year can seem unbearably overwhelming, as APs are fast approaching and class schedules for the 2013-14 academic year are being formulated. But at the risk of sounding like a cliché, don’t let yourself get blind sided by all the stress and chaos of school. While we are responsible and hardworking, we are in fact, just kids. So value these last few months before you graduate and get ready to start the next chapter in your life, whether you’re about to enter high school or preparing to begin your first year in college. This is the best time of our lives - treasure each moment and make the most of it. Daria Etezadi
Editor-in-Chief
FACULTY ADVISOR Patricia McHale, MJE Student newspaper of Laguna Blanca School • 4125 Paloma Drive • Santa Barbara, CA 93110 • www.thefourthestate.net
The Fourth Estate is a public forum for student expression. It is written and produced solely by the journalism students. It represents the voice of the students. It covers topics, issues, and opinions of relevance to the Laguna Blanca School community. The Fourth Estate welcomes guest columns and letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and be no longer than 400 words.
Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and/or taste. Anonymous letters will not be published. The Fourth Estate publishes six issues per year, and prints 400 copies of each issue which are distributed to approximately 300 Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff. We mail issues to subscribers and advertisers, and exchange papers with high school journal-
ism classes across the country. The Fourth Estate accepts both print and online advertising in either black and white or color. Contact Trish McHale at tmchale@lagunablanca.org for information about advertising and subscriptions. “Follow” us on Twitter and “Like” us on Facebook. Visit our online paper for daily updates: www.thefourthestate. net.
News In Brief
Youth Network 4 Africa By KARINNA CARRILLO Philanthropist and founder of the Network for Africa organization Ms. Rebecca Tinsley returned to campus recently to encourage students to get involved with her cause. Since then students have stepped up to help. They formed the first Youth Network for Africa club with fifteen students coming together in an effort to raise funds for the organization. Along with the support of advisor, Ms. Martha Elliott, the Youth Network for Africa club has raised over $500 within the past two months. Club members have been busily selling bead necklaces and baskets hand-made from women in Rwanda. Besides these efforts, students have also been holding doughnut sales twice weekly at the Middle and Upper school campuses. The Youth Network for Africa’s next goal is to begin setting up chapter of the group at other high schools and even colleges and universities across the country. Ms. Elliott is excited about where this club is going, and is encouraging students to keep fundraising and is pushing to start new clubs at other Santa Barbara high schools. “There are also many other ways we can raise money…it’s endless,” said Ms. Elliott.
It’s Not a Dead Language By MARGARET LAZAROVITS On March 14, Latin scholars from all over the country and in all different levels of Latin study took the National Latin Exam. Latin is mandatory in seventh grade, so most students taking the NLE will be taking it for the first time. There are a few students who have a passion for Latin and wish to continue their Classics studies in college. Caitlin Connor is the only senior taking the NLE. She is currently in a Directed Study with Latin instructor Ms. Rose Steeber, as she finished the highest level of Latin offered in her junior year. “Latin became more than a requirement for me. The teachers I have had have been some of the most amazing teachers and have really cultivated my love of the language.”
Auction Goes Black and White By KAYLEE STRACHAN Laguna Blanca’s annual auction was held on Saturday, March 9 at the Bacara Resort. The theme this year was a Black and White Ball called Celebrate NOW. Delene Bliss, head of fundraising, and Elizabeth Fowler, chair, led a group of parent volunteers to put this event together. Each class, as well as individual students, had a creative part in the auction. High school students participated a slow motion video that was during the gala. The kindergarten through fourth grade classes created projects that were auctioned off. Pictures of each student were taken for the parents as well. The items being auctioned off were generous donations from parents and friends of the School, such as spa treatments, getaway vacations, and boat rides.
The News
April 8, 2013
Mock Trial Team Finishes Their Season Continued from Page 1
T
he two teams each competed against other schools twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon. The defense team won both matches against Carpinteria High School and Santa Barbara High School. Laguna’s prosecution team lost in the morning against San Marcos, but came back in the afternoon to beat Santa Ynez Valley High School. There are three scorers and a judge in the courtroom during each trial. The scorers give points for each performance, then they add up the total. The performance that counts for the most points is the pretrial, where the score is multiplied by three. In case of a draw, the judge serves as the tiebreaker. At the end of the day, the team placed 5th overall, just missing the cutoff to move on in the competition. “I hope they’ve learned a lot about how the criminal justice system operates and have gained an appreciation for the law,” said Ms. Elliott. “I hope they’ve also learned how to work as a team, rather
PHOTO: ZOE SERBIN
WRAPPING UP THE SEASON: The Mock Trial team celebrates finishing the season off strong at their wrap up dinner on March 18. then as individuals. ” Senior Justin Palmer, who has been on the Mock Trial team since he was a freshman, received an Honorable Mention for his work as lead defense lawyer. “It was rewarding,” said Justin, “It felt nice to be recognized,” senior Olivia Berci, lead prosecutor, has also been on the team since her freshman year. “I have learned a tremen-
dous amount about the law and judicial system. I have learned to think on my feet, solve challenging puzzles, and to critically analyze and synthesize information and facts. I have also been challenged in my public speaking skills, my ability to present myself professionally, and speak eloquently when being questioned,” said Olivia, who started out as an expert witness in her first Mock Trial
Competition. After four years, Olivia believes that she has gained insight from Mock Trial. “I think my time as a participant of Mock Trial has really enhanced my high school experience,” said Olivia, “It was such a good experience to be able to interact with, and to get to know other students in every grade, and I really valued the time I spent practicing.”
Students Inspired to Understand Investing By KYLE VAN DE KAMER Since the economic crash of 2008, investing has become a hot topic. Investing tactics have been re-examined and modified in an attempt to avoid another recession. If there was ever a time to learn about investing, it is now. The economy is getting stronger everyday and the charts show that the economy is rebounding to pre-recession conditions. Three Laguna students decided to further explore the intricacies of the investing game. Armed with their interest in the stock market and with the help of Dr. Charles Donelan, these students have formed the Investment Club. In October, Ben Rios, Tyler Hurley, and Max Mayrock talked about the stock market during study hall when Dr.
Donelan showed them the Dr. Donelan. stock market game: a national “Through their motivation, online game designed to intro- they have come in contact with duce to students how the stock all kinds of issues having to market works. do with globalization, the way Starting the fedout with eral gov“Suddenly they can’t $100,000, ernment each stuworks, wait to hear what’s dent inand intergoing to happen” vested in national compatrade is-Dr. Donelan nies such sues that as Apple, m a y b e Netflix otherwise and GameStop. would not have been as interHowever, they soon realized esting to them but because it that investing is much more has an impact on their portfothan just thinking a compa- lio, suddenly they can’t wait to ny will do well but it is “very hear what’s going to happen.” much oriented around the reCurrently, the Investment lationship between real world Club is in their second session events, the fortunes of com- of the game and the success panies, and how the economy they had in their first session works in a larger sense” said has continued.
Freshman Tyler Hurley finished the first session as one of the top 50. He put Laguna into the top 20 in California out of over 500 teams. Tyler envisions the club using real money one day, a goal he is pushing for next year and the progress of the club hasn’t stopped even though they are currently in a rough patch. “Although my portfolio has gained 6 percent, my investment in Apple hasn’t gone as well as I’d hoped.” This quarter hasn’t been as positive as the investment club hoped, their portfolios are doing well and they are either breaking even or making a profit. Next year will be an interesting year, especially if they introduce real money, the risks will be even greater.
Chick-Fil-A Opens in Santa Barbara
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ecently, a branch of the popular Southern fast food restaurant Chick-fil-A opened on upper State Street in Santa Barbara. The chain is known for its chicken sandwiches and Christian beliefs. The founder of the company opposes samesex marriage and is very conservative. These stances have created controversy surrounding the chain. At the recent opening of the new location, people coming from as far as Arizona camped out in the parking lot. The first 100 customers to get into the restaurant received free meal vouchers that can be used at most of the chains locations. Many Laguna students have eaten at the new Chick-fil-A, such as sophomore Connor Curran. Connor said that he liked the interior of the restaurant because of its “homely feel.” “The chicken sandwich was quality.” Although he did enjoy his experience at Chick-filA, he said that he likes Kentucky Fried Chicken better. Senior Brian Miguel can often be seen with a bag of Chick-fil-A during lunchtime.
By SCOTT JOHNSTON
PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA
“EAT MOR CHIKIN”: Three seniors, Brendon Nylen, Cassidy Shevitz, and Duke Schnieder (left to right) enjoy their Chick-Fil-A lunch. “Well, first off, its menu is interesting being it’s basically only chicken. They “put all their eggs . . . in one basket! I mean, they only serve chicken,” Brian said. “Secondly, their service is great . . . they are very fast at getting you your food. I don’t have to wait that long.”
Sophomore John Ligon is aware of the chain’s controversial beliefs and said, “I believe that the president of ChickFil-A has extremely backwards beliefs pertaining to gay marriage.” John also said that in North Carolina he saw people holding signs that said things like
“God Hates Gays” outside of a Chick-fil-A restaurant. Even with all the up-anddown publicity surrounding the chain, many are still happy that the chicken restaurant has arrived. Senior Eddie Conk said, “I am excited that Chick-fil-A finally made it to Santa Barbara.”
Math Department Launches WebAssign in Classes By DARIA ETEZADI Over the past few months, the administration has been gravitating towards a more technologically focused educational system by incorporating the use of iPads and online classes into the curriculum. Recently, math instructor Mr. Dan Ary began to utilize WebAssign as a supplement to his Calculus AB and BC
classes, in a test trial meant to determine whether an online program would further or detract from the quality of his advanced math classes. Typically used by colleges, WebAssign contains video tutorials that correspond with a series of practice problems, along with a digitized version of the textbook.
It also has a chat feature that gives students the opportunity to consult with a live math expert who can answer any questions that couldn’t be answered through the tutorials or the text. As part of this trial period, Mr. Ary has been assigning homework on WebAssign, so students can keep track of
their progress and familiarize themselves with the online education system that they will potentially be using in college. “The pros really come down to the fact that there are online generated videos for many of the difficult topics of calculus. You can also talk to someone online about the topics. The cons include that students put
off working on the homework assignments so they turn it in late. Sometimes they also study the patterns rather than doing the process, but online homework is widely used at most of the major universities and so we are getting the students better prepared for college,” said calculus instructor, Mr. Dan Ary.
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The News
April 8, 2013
Spring Break Adventures in Vietnam By KAYLEE STRACHAN
Blake Dorfman, Laguna library coordinator, and Laura Wooster, Santa Barbara High teacher, led a group of seven high schoolers, four of whom were Laguna students, Carter Thicke, Beatrice Tolan, Pierce O’Donnell, and Jack Espy on the annual Friendship Tours spring break trip in Vietnam. They began their journey touring Saigon and going on an evening walk. They got to visit The War Remnants Museum, The Reunification Palace, and the Ben Thanh Market on the second day. The group got the opportunity to stay with the family of a former Vietcong general. They experienced bike tours and boat trips. They visited a floating market. On their sixth day, they arrived in Hanoi, where they adventured through the neighborhood surrounding their hotel. The next day, they experienced Vietnam’s capital, walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and exploring the Presidential Palace and Hoa Lo Prison, which is now a museum. They also wandered through the Temple of Literature. During their last day of the trip, they worked for a service project at the Vietnam Friendship Village and then flew home. Throughout their journey, the students kept journals, which they wrote in daily at many of the sites they toured.
PHOTOS: KATE BERGSTROM & CONNER WARREN & TARA BROUCQSAULT JAZZ HANDS: (left) Actors are excited for Fullerton competition. (middle) Maddie Sokolove, Allison Lewis Towbes, Erica Keane, and Beatrice Tolan relax after the second round of competition. (right) The group enjoy a meal at the hotel. (below) Allison and Margaret share a moment in the hotel hallway following a performance.
Hopeful Actors Compete at Fullerton Theater Festival
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he Fullerton Theatre Festival is an opportunity for high school actors and actresses in California to compete against one another. There are also options to participate in tech and design categories. This year the festival anticipated 2,000 students from more than 65 high schools. Laguna sent six students and two faculty chaperones, Ms. Kate Bergstrom and Ms. Alison Crevi, on March 15 for the two-day event. Students Allison Lewis Towbes, Maddie Sokolove, Beatrice Tolan, Conner Warren, and Erica Keane competed in the acting category. Junior Margaret Lazarovits directed a scene performed by Allison and Maddie. This scene was from a play called “Dog Sees God”, which
Sounds of Gypsy Jazz Fill Spaulding
By KAYLEE STRACHAN is about the Peanuts charac- competed in the contempoters in high school. rary dramatic co-ed category, They competed in the con- while Conner and Beatrice temporary humorous co-ed competed in the contemporary dramatic category. humorous co-ed category. “This was our first time at “The community at FullerFullerton so the main objec- ton was so welcoming, spastive was just to test out the wa- tic, and crazy. We all felt at ters and see how it would go. home,” said Beatrice. All the actors left with no reDuring their time in Fullergrets and it was a great learn- ton, they had the opportunity ing and bonding experience to watch the Fullerton College for all of us,” said Margaret. put on the show “Assassins.” Along with that skit, each “The actors did a great job student had to recite a mono- with the complex music, and logue. they were lively and engaging. Conner’s monologue was Overall, the show was very fun from the show “Lloyd’s to watch,” said Margaret. Prayer”; Allison’s from “Three Their scenes were attended Tall Women”; Beatrice’s from by other performers, so they “Search for Signs of Intelligent had a live audience watching Life in the Universe”; Erica’s them act. from “Summer and Smoke”; “Everyone was super supand Maddie’s from “Buried portive and very inclusive, Child.” even the other actors,” said AlErica, Allison, and Maddie lison.
Sports Drive Provides Equipment for Local Kids By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY
By ANASTASIA ANTONOVA Ms. Laura Geier, Laguna’s Middle and Upper School music instructor, came to Laguna with a passion for gypsy jazz. It’s only logical that she PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA would lead an educative assembly on gypsy jazz on Feb. movie “Midnight in Paris.” The two practiced together 21. For the assembly Ms. Geier twice before performing offiinvited guitarist Ryan Dart, cially. “I think we had a high enerwhom she met in grad school at the California Institute of gy level and most of the tunes the Arts who, like Ms. Geier, is went well,” Ms. Geier said. In addition to playing for interested in gypsy jazz. They both discussed the the Upper School, Ryan came roots to the genre of music, in and conducted workshops explaining where the music with Ms. Geier’s classes incame from and listing some cluding Stage Band and the of the more famous gypsy jazz Chamber Ensemble. Each class was given a Djanmusicians. They finished the assembly go Reinhardt standard chart with a mini-concert, playing and exercises created by Ryan two of Ryan’s original tunes to practice improvisation. “Ryan has a distinct style “Matilija Swing” and “Romani Waltz,” as well as more well- and he taught us gypsy jazz known pieces such as “Minor in a new way,” said freshman Swing,” and those from the Travis Fristoe.
A
round 800 children in the Santa Barbara area were treated to gently used sports equipment for the coming year of sports during the 4th Annual Santa Barbara Sports Drive at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara on March 2. Hundreds of basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, tennis racquets, and golf clubs were donated. Children could also get skis, shoes, clothes, Legos, and trading cards. Additionally, 35 wellequipped and restored bikes, which all came with new helmets, were raffled off to the participants. About 30 volunteers coming from Laguna Blanca School, Santa Barbara High School and Bishop Diego High School helped put on the event. The program was initially founded four years ago by Matt Wagonhurst, now a se-
nior at Santa Barbara High School, Eddie Conk and Eli Bittleston, both seniors at Laguna. The Santa Barbara Sports Drive “started when [my] buddy Matt Wagonhurst bought cleats for the baseball season but tried out for basketball instead. We found the unused PHOTO: CATHERINE CONK cleats months later in his closet, so we gathered all our gear NEW RIDE: A smiling recipient of and came up with a new bicycle at the sports drive. the idea,” said cofounder Eddie Conk. “This years even went well. Additionally, clubs in the We handed down the reigns to surrounding areas have begun the younger guys, so that they to start their own chapters. could run it after the leaders Because the founding trio went to college. The drive rewill be leaving Santa Barbara sembled the first couple years for college next year, they as they dealt with new respongave a lot of the responsibil- sibilities, but it was still a great ity in running the event to the success,” continued Eddie. younger volunteers this year.
Students Recognized with Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
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By MACKENNA CONNOR
enior Zoe Serbin, a writer and The film, “City Series: New artist, recently won two Gold York”, also won a Merit Award in Keys, three Silver Keys, and Cinematic Arts from the National seven Honorable Mentions from the Young Arts Foundation, placing in California Region of The Scholastic Art the top five percent of applicants in & Writing Awards. the country. “I was really surprised to hear that I In addition to these awards, the won all of those awards, but I was also film was also an Official Selection pretty excited. It was my last year to in the 2013 San Luis Obispo Interbe able to enter into national Film the contest and my “...I love that there’s no Festival. parents had a hard “The film ‘right’ way of capturing a is a short city time motivating me to do it, but it defisymphony moment or a feeling.” nitely paid off.” film, cap-Zoe Serbin style Zoe has always turing the esloved art, however, sence of New she became much York City as it more enthusiastic about it after she transforms from day to night,” said had a concussion her freshman year Miles Crist, “I chose to make this and wasn’t supposed to do anything film because I knew I would be viselse. iting New York over the summer “My favorite thing about art is how and I like New York.” broad a medium it is. It can be someMiles started filmmaking when thing from a still life oil painting to a he was only nine years old, makpage of cartoon sketches on a napkin, ing stop-motion animations with but if it can move somebody, then it’s Legos. art. I love that there’s no ‘right’ way of Miles said, “[m]y favorite part capturing a moment or a feeling.” about movie making is filming, This year sophomore Miles Crist won especially at varying locations. Esan Honorable Mention in the Film/An- sentially, production, as opposed imation category in the Scholastic Art to pre-production or coming up and Writing Awards, a regional pro- with the idea, or post-production gram for California students. editing and color correcting.”
GRAPHIC: ZOE SERBIN
Ryan Emmons: An Entrepreneur at Heart By DARIA ETEZADI
While a Laguna student, Ryan Emmons ‘08 was a Future Business Leaders of America club president. As president, he combined his passion for business and his commitment to community service to create Santa Barbaraopoly, a game with the same format as Monopoly, but with Santa Barbara businesses in place of the traditional properties. Proceeds from sales of the games went to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Today, Ryan is the Founder and President of Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water. An entrepreneur at heart, Emmons began to express interest in the business industry in sixth grade when he invested in the stock market. Around the same time Emmons began attending the University of Southern California, his parents invested in a well in Hawaii. As a freshman at USC, Emmons began to brainstorm ideas for launching a premium sustainable bottled water company. With the help of fellow freshman and USC football player Matthew Meyer, the two set out to design and launch Waiakea. Eager to turn his dream into a reality, Emmons decided to apply early to the Lloyd Greif Entrepreneur Program. “After a year of my own feasibility and analysis, I realized I was ready to get into the program. I wrote one of my most sincere letters ever to the
“After a year of my own feasibility and analysis, I realized I was ready to get into the program. I wrote one of my most sincere letters ever to the Deans of the Business School and the Lloyd Greif Center pleading for early acceptance. It worked!” -Ryan Emmons. Deans of the Business School and the Lloyd Greif Center pleading for early acceptance. It worked!” Following his admission, Emmons drew from the classes as sources of inspiration in building his business. For the next three years, CEO Emmons and COO Meyer collaborated to develop the “most ecofriendly and ethically conscious premium bottled water” in the hopes of “chang[ing] the entire bottled water, and food and beverage industry for the better.” In addition, the two aim to stimulate the economy in Hawaii, draw “attention to the world’s water crisis,” and establish a “live healthy, live sustainably, and live ethically model . . . that has already begun to develop a fiercely loyal following because of what it represents.” The company boasts a donation of “650 liters of clean water to those in need through PumpAid.org.” “It was a lot of work, but at the end of the day my entrepreneur classes . . . prepared me and helped me to develop and design a truly unique, scalable, and market-proven product, and one I myself truly believed could make a difference.”
Profile Our Own Teen Star
April 8, 2013
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An aspiring Broadway performer takes the stage in the county-wide singing competition, “Teen Star.” By ANASTASIA ANTONOVA
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hen she was just a little girl, her parents took her to an Idina Menzel concert. As soon as Menzel asked for song requests, freshman Julieanna Bartling stood up on her chair and shouted for a song from “Wicked,” then only eleven years old. The singer invited her to sing “Defying Gravity” with her on stage. Now, about five years later, Julieanna is still just as passionate about musical theater, “I’ve wanted to sing on Broadway since I was five.” At five years old she started singing with the Adderley School for the Performing Arts up until this year, her first show being “Annie” in which she played the lead role. This year, she was introduced to the county-wide singing competition “Teen Star” by David Schaeman, who placed in the top 10 last year. Julieanna’s father signed her up for it, but on audition day both of them forgot. It was fifteen minutes before the audition when Julieanna got a text from a friend that reminded her. “I was wearing sweat pants and had to decide my song in the car.” Despite last minute preparations, Julieanna got into the top 10 finalists who performed at the Granada on March 23. The audience voted that same night for the top three who performed for first place. The competition is set up so the contestants bond with one another, are mentored on their songs with Dishwalla band member J. R. Richards, and get an interview. Along with a clip of them singing when they were younger, clips of the interview and mentorship are combined into a video shown before they sing. For her clip, Julieanna sent in the video of her singing with Menzel. Overall Julieanna said this was a great opportunity to perform, “I’ve been trying to get used to auditioning and performing in competitions.” Next year Julieanna will be attending Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Massachusetts.
PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANOTONOVA
Collaborating in Community Service Activities By MACKENNA CONNOR
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ith hundreds of hours of community service already completed, junior Grace Copeland continues her dedication to the community through charities like the Dream PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA Foundation. The Dream Dream On: (From right to left) Juniors Grace Copeland, Kimberly Crickette, Lindsay Ligon and Lucie Hartmann hold a meeting for their Foundation’s club, the Dream Foundation mission is to unior Allison Towbes is very “enhance the involved at Madrich Program at quality of life for individuals and their Congregation B’nai Brith. families facing a life-threatening ill“The goal of this program is to ness by fulfilling a heart’s final wish.” create an atmosphere where Jewish Grace has been involved with the children can learn about their heritage Dream Foundation for three years while Jewish teenagers can continue and is not only co-captain of Laguna’s to participate and give back to the Dream Foundation club, but is on the temple while also teaching the kids to Dream Foundation’s Youth Advisory love their culture and religion,” said Council. Allison. “I love working with the Dream Allison has been involved with the Foundation because they don’t just temple’s program for three years, fulfill someone’s dream, they go bethe first year she was a second grade yond that and try to make it easier for teacher’s aid, and for the following two the dream recipient’s family too,” said years she has worked with a disabled Grace. student as her helper. Grace asserted one the common Freshman Jacqueline Berci is also misconceptions about charities like actively involved with Congregation Dream Foundation, she said, “Even B’nai B’rith. After participating in the though many people think of an ortemple’s “madrichim” training proganization, such as the Dream Foungram (madrichim means “teen aid”), dation, as only granting extravagant she began working in a first grade dreams like a trip to anywhere the classroom this year. ‘dreamer’ wants to go, the majority of Jacqueline is following in her sister, the dreams they grant are providing senior Olivia Berci’s, footsteps. Olivia some types of a utility to that person and fellow senior Justin Palmer have to make their lives easier or more comfortable during the time they have worked as madrichim at the temple for the past four years. left.”
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Opinion
April 8, 2013
Catching the Victims Before They Fall By ZOE SERBIN
By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES
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disorder as adults,” wrote Catherine Saint Louis in her New York Times article. The study also showed that men who were both victims and perpetrators were 18.5 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, and women who were both victims and perpetrators were 26.7 times more likely to develop agoraphobia, a specific type of panic disorder. “The pattern we are seeing is similar to patterns we see when a child is abused or maltreated or treated very harshly within the family setting,” said Dr. Copeland, who led the study and works at Duke University Medical Center as a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences. The research is disturbing to me, but numbers cannot compare to stories. I was so moved by the short film and Dr. William E. Copeland’s study that I wanted to see if students at Laguna felt the same way – if they had been bullied so much in elementary and middle school that they were still feeling the effects “to this day.” Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they were. “Girls would gang up on me
and make me feel awful about myself. I started to believe them, and a couple of times a week I would come home and cry to my mom about the day but I never really told her why,” said an anonymous 10th grade girl. “What I went through actually made me the better
Bullying may be a tired subject, but it hasn’t stopped, and it won’t. It’s just human nature. person I am today. I know what it feels like to be hurt and not belong, so the mindset I have now is that I never want anyone I am around to feel the same way. No one should have to feel that ever,” the girl wrote in an anonymous poll. A freshman boy wrote that even after going to an adult, it had little effect: “The kid always got in trouble, but would say that it was a joke and pressure me into going
No One’s Asking For It If there’s no consent, it’s a crime. It doesn’t matter whether you’re wearing a bikini, jeans or a prom gown. By ANASTASIA ANTONOVA When we were young, we’re Not the girl in the girl in the cautioned “Never talk to all-sequined mini-skirt or her strangers,” or “Don’t play in friend in the lacy crop top or the street.” the one in the low-rise ultraHowever, something skinny jeans. changes around our teen Not the girl in the hijab, years. The message changes such as Neelo, about whom for girls. her brother writes in a blog No longer are both genders on the site Women Under taught the same lesson. As Siege—a project dedicated to teenage girls, we are urged exposing and combating rape to sign up for self-defense as a crime and strategy of war. classes, told to never go Neelo’s brother writes about downtown alone, and to her travels to school. never wear Despite anything too being ...something changes provocative clothed in a around our teen because you full hijab, or years. No longer are headscarf, might seem both genders taught Neelo would like you’re the same lesson. asking for it. face men’s But the stares, thing is no whispers, girl is ever asking for it. It and taunts. Neelo’s story, being rape. as told by her brother, In a New York Times article demonstrates that no woman Ethan Bronner wrote, “the can ever be accused of “asking very term “rape” has such for it.” a tortured — many would If Neelo cannot escape say ignominious — history sexual harassment covered in that the F.B.I. just this year all-black, then the problem changed its definition after doesn’t come from what we as eight decades, and a number women wear. of states have purged their The notion that a woman criminal codes of it entirely, can be asking for it depending referring instead to levels of on how short her hemline is sexual assault. Many experts comes from our living in a now believe that rape is society that teaches “don’t get best understood as an act of raped” instead of “don’t rape.” unwanted bodily invasion that Perhaps putting on some need not involve force.” leggings under a skirt is Girls don’t dress to be a prevention tactic but attacked. ultimately the blame cannot
be put on the victim. This also comes up in court cases, when rape victims are prosecuted. Sexual violence is one of the only felonies were victims are prosecuted. A reasoning such as the owner of the car was “asking” to get stolen from because he didn’t lock it just sounds unfounded, while victims being partly responsible for their rape due to their alcohol consumption, body language, and, of course, clothing is commonly used. In 2005, Amnesty International conducted a study that revealed almost 30 percent of people believe that a woman is partly or wholly to blame for her rape if she was wearing “sexy or revealing” clothing. But a woman wearing something scandalous is not trying to convey that she wants to get raped. A campaign of Scotland puts it bluntly: “This [outfit] is not an invitation to rape me.”
ART: ZOE SERBIN back to who I told and telling them that they didn’t mean it.” An anonymous junior girl had a different experience, and wrote to us that she had been bullied by her best friend in middle school. “I believed her when she told me that I was ugly and fat and that I was lucky to have her because no one else wanted to be my friend,” the 11th grade girl wrote. “After some of the things that this girl said to me and behind my back, it’s taken years to find my selfconfidence again. It’s also made it hard to trust people because apparently even your best friend can hurt you.” This is not a call to intervene, it’s an urge to support. It’s hard to put yourself into the line of fire, to bite the bullet and stand up for someone—maybe even a stranger. Very few of us are fearless when it comes to facing our peers, because kids and teenagers are notoriously ruthless. Victims of bullying very often don’t have anyone to fall back on for help, but sometimes having even one person can make all the difference.
PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA
f you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Treat others how you’d like to be treated. Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Throughout our childhood, these words are repeated over and over again until they lost their meaning. Kids say mean things, and those words can cut deeper than any push or shove on the playground. Bullying may be a tired subject, but it hasn’t stopped, and it won’t. It’s just human nature. Talks, assemblies, and lectures go in one ear and out the other. When kids bully, they do it impulsively. It’s purely emotional, and nobody thinks of the consequences. Of course discouraging bullying is important, and that’s not to say that taking preventative measures doesn’t work. But overall, educating kids on the effects of emotionally or physically bullying their peers won’t stop it from happening. Let’s face it. Telling kids not to be bystanders and step into the line of fire themselves is a tall order. What we need to focus on is the aftermath: offering emotional support to the victims, because the research shows that the effects of bullying linger long after we leave the cafeteria lunch tables. I was inspired and moved by “To This Day,” a spoken word piece written by Shane Koyczan, a young man who was heavily bullied as a child because of his weight and a misconception of his home life. The poem, a collaborative effort between Koyczan, animators, musicians, and producers, focused on the effect that bullying has had on Koyczan and his classmates “to this day.” According to a New York Times study, the effects of bullying often last into adulthood—with both the victim and the aggressor. “Victims of bullying in childhood were 4.3 times more likely to have an anxiety
NO EXCEPTION As a country, we are finding ways to cope with the internal violence that we’ve experienced within the last year. Our parental instincts have kicked in, and nothing matters more than the safety and well-being of each and every one of America’s children. Yet in this tumultuous and insecure time, there is a group of children who have been left out. Every time a reporter comes on at eleven o’clock to deliver the harrowing story of another school shooting where the suspect has been deemed “mentally unstable,” a seed is planted in the minds of parents across the country. The seed grows into fear, blooming into prejudice, and a stigma against the disabled and mentally ill takes root. We’ve all heard the stories of students bullying their autistic classmate out of discomfort, simply because he or she doesn’t think or learn like the rest of the world. Even worse, there are occasional reports of a teacher being fired for locking disabled students in ‘quiet rooms’ (essentially
Every child deserves the right to be educated. Every child should be protected from prejudice. padded cells, sometimes with only a few holes for air) when the teacher was unable to handle the chaos. But more recently, overprotective parents, afraid of what strays from the norm, have begun to complain to school authorities about their children’s disabled classmates. There are hundreds upon thousands of students in the United States diagnosed with bipolar disorders, anger management problems, depression, autism, and countless other disabilities. Only a tiny number of these children will ever go on to commit a violent crime. Yet that sliver of a chance is more than enough to put worried parents over the edge. Like a witch hunt, they will pick on the child who seems different from the rest. They accuse that student, calling him or her a danger. The family must bare witness to the misconstrued testimony, listening the mob say we do not accept your child, we do not want you here. In law, we have been taught that you are perceived innocent until proven guilty. These are children who, like every other child, want the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, healthy environment. They have problems that beyond their control, they are not criminals. And by denying them the basic right of education, we are committing a sin akin to the treatment of African American students in the 1960s, who were barred from schools because they were born with dark skin. As a society, we thought we were beyond that kind of behavior. But until every child feels safe, despite their disabilities and differences, we are stuck in the past, repeating history. Every child deserves the right to be educated. Every child should be protected from prejudice. No exceptions.
Opinion
7 STAFF EDITORIAL: The Laguna stigma
The story is all too familiar. Many of us have been in a position in which shared that we attend Laguna Blanca, which then elicits an eye roll response or a “what is that? . . . oh that.” Stereotypes exist for every school, and for Laguna students, the rich, stuck-up stigma sometimes associated with Laguna has gone so far as to detract from our school pride. Yeah, we go to a private school, but that doesn’t mean that we’re all rich or stuck-up. A lot of things stem from stereotypes that are unfounded. The fact is that Laguna
isn’t the most expensive private school in the area. Instead of feeling a stigma, students should be able to appreciate the resources that are offered at Laguna, including the attention we receive from our teachers, the rigorous academics, the inclusive, yet competitive sports teams, and most importantly the sense of community. But it is sometimes difficult for students to proudly represent their school when our sports teams aren’t as big as the public school teams, and when we cannot mention where we go to
school without a sense of embarrassment. “A lot of the people around us make quick judgments without any basis. I feel like a lot of people are closed
...[the] stigma has gone so far as to detract from school pride. minded about Laguna to begin with, and they never get around to opening up their minds to see that most of the stereotypes they believe about us aren’t true,”
said a Laguna student. So, why is it that we feel we are thrown in the line of fire the second we reveal that we attend a small private school? And more importantly, when did it become okay to stigmatize a quality education, or judge kids on where they attend school? We should not be fearful of the scrutiny of the unaware and the uniformed in our community. It all comes down to the people outside the community casting their judgments without taking the time to realize that within our secluded campus in Hope Ranch
April 8, 2013
there is more than just a few hundred rich kids. Yes ,we know we are privileged to attend the school we do. Yes, we can have classes with fewer than ten students. Yes, we can play a sport even if we have never tried it before. And yes, many of us have been challenged on all of the above points by people outside of our Laguna community. A lot of people don’t realize how special the environment here really is. The warmth and connectedness of the community here outweighs any part of the stigma.
Doesn’t it seem right that we should be able to show our school spirit, to promote the opportunities we are privileged enough to have, and to be proud of who we are as a school without the constant degrading comments. So, let’s ignore them. Let’s not let the condescending remarks hold us back from proudly representing our nest. Next time someone asks us where we attend school, let’s say it without hesitation. Let’s project our school spirit and let’s not stifle what we are lucky enough to have.
The “Good-Grade Pill” Trickle-Down By OLIVIA BERCI Student abuse of Adderall and Ritalin isn’t a new problem. What have been deemed the “good-grade pills” have long been providing college campuses with the fuel to get through allnighters. But, according to The New York Times, secret addiction to prescription stimulants has trickled down to high-school students. Ritalin, Focalin, Concerta, Vynanse, Adderall—they all, while calming people with A.D.H.D., provide those without the disorder with a jolt of energy and tunnel-like focus. Since 2007, the number of prescriptions for A.D.H.D. medications dispensed to people ages 10-19 has increased by 26 percent, to almost 21 million yearly (the Times). Doctors and teenagers from more than 15
schools across the nation, with noted high academic standards, estimated that the
would be hard pressed to find a high school senior who doesn’t know someone who is
mixed with alcohol or other drugs, its effects can be dangerous and uncontrollable. Ritalin
GRAPHIC: ZOE SERBIN
portion of students who take stimulants as a study aid ranges from 15 to 40 percent. While Adderall has been dubbed the “goodgrade pill” (the Times) its marketing potential doesn’t stop at study aid. The drug can be, and is, mixed with alcohol to increase its effects. The story isn’t alien to me, and I think you
addicted to prescription stimulants, someone who took them to take the SAT, to suppress appetite, or who has abused Adderall or Ritalin him or herself. Adderall can lead to high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, memory lapse, aggression, severe depression, mood swings, and, when
and Adderall have also been alleged as gateway drugs to cocaine and heroine. Those are all very real consequences, but a list of risks and side effects hasn’t, historically, hindered recreational drug use, and it won’t be enough to stop academic abuse of prescription stimulants either. The disorder, which
is characterized by severe inattention and impulsivity, is claimed to be an increasingly common psychiatric diagnosis among American youth. About 9.5 percent of Americans ages 4 to 17 were ruled to have the disorder in 2007. That is 5.4 million children, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The reported prevalence of the disorder has been unwavering in its rise for more than a decade, and while some doctors are glad that the disease is gaining recognition, others fear that the diagnosis, and the drugs used to treat it, are being given out too loosely. The Drug Enforcement Administration classifies these medications as Schedule II Controlled Substances because they are addictive. While the long-term effects of extended use are not fully understood,
it is thought that young people can become dependent on the medication long after they present any A.D.H.D. symptoms. The increase in diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder is alarming, and it begs the question of whether the disease is actually rising at such a steep pace or if the standards by which doctors diagnose have changed. I would argue that pressure from parents for their child to earn an A.D.H.D. diagnosis is a very real contributor to the rise in prescriptions being issued. Recreational drug use isn’t a new crossroad, but the rate of occurrence that prescription stimulants are being used to face academic pressure arguably is. Academic fairness in the face of prescription drug use is an issue being called into question for schools across the country and for the College Board— that is a new crossroads being forged by my generation, and it is a new ethical and health challenge that we now have to address.
The 3rd Rail of the Immigration Debate The California Dream Act places our state at the center of the immigration debate, and touches the third rail topic of affording a college education. By KARINNA CARRILLO As a high school senior, I can genuinely say that my first semester completely revolved around the college application process. Between September and November, I toured my top schools, wrote my application essays, and clicked that small submit button at least ten times, but what I hadn’t expected was the nervous feelings that proceeded these stressful months. By January, I was unexpectedly accepted at my top school, University of Southern California (USC). As I proudly read over my acceptance letter and the fact that I also received a merit scholarship, I couldn’t help but remember the fact that this large portion of money was only a small fraction of the cost to attend my top school: $60,000. Although people may assume that minority students will not only have an easier time getting into college, but also receiving grants and scholarships, I quickly realized that this was wrong. As I busily applied for scholarship after scholarship, I
realized that this year it would be harder than ever to receive federal grant money such as through the Cal Grant Program even as a Mexican-American. The problem is that I am an American citizen.
AB 540 students, were previously ineligible to receive loans and grants for college because they do not have a
will be given aid at colleges in the Cal State University of California system.
Though this program does offer new opportunities and does mitigate the struggle that theses students will have to face, I, along of thousands of other students, don’t agree with this Act, which was originally passed by California Governor, Jerry Brown in 2011.
Grants were submitted, and the budget solely for these applicants will be over $19 million for just the 2013-2014 school year. As an American citizen with Mexican heritage on both sides of my family, I am aware of the struggle that comes with becoming
...I couldn’t help but forget the fact that this large portion of money was only a small fraction of the cost to attend my top school...
Beginning January 1, the California Dream Act will go into effect and undocumented students will be able to receive financial aid from state universities and colleges. These students, commonly referred to as
social security number. However, the California Dream Act has eliminated this problem for them. Without becoming a citizen or even becoming a legal resident, high school students, who aren’t American citizens,
GRAPHIC: ZOE SERBIN
Since signed, this act has once again put California at the center of the immigration debate. Though Los Angeles attorney Scott Hughes argues that “the legislation does not provide a blank check, but a chance to help children who were illegally brought into this country...,” I can only think of the fact that in the first year that the Act has been in place, over 20,000 applications for Cal
a citizen. Both of my grandparents and both of my parents went through this difficult challenge and I understand how long and how draining the process can be. But still, by going through this experience, I understand how valuable and important it is to become an American citizen. By allowing illegal immigrant students the opportunity to receive grant money before becoming a citizen, students will forget the value of becoming an American citizen.
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Hacking 101: What is it? By KYLE VAN de KAMER
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n order to understand what hacking is, it’s important to define the term in relation to coding. Like the alphabet is to creating a sentence, coding is the language of programming computer software and hacking is the ability to re-configure or re-program a system so it works in a way not originally intended by the creator. Since 1822 ,when Charles Babbage created the difference engine and in 1939 when British engineers created an encryption machine during WWII, hacking has been around longer than most realize. The negative connotation that now surrounds hacking hasn’t always been true to its purpose
or use. Fast-forward to today and hacking has become a front-page topic on a monthly basis. Either a country is trying to hack another country, or an anonymous group of hackers is using their devious talent to take justice into their own hands and attach a common enemy of society. As it has grown over the past few years, the degree of hacking has gone from attacking on a large scale to a very personal level. Articles on phones being hacked are becoming ever more frequent and the threat of personal space and identity has become a reality. Having said this, it’s important to look at the big picture and understand that hacking is merely a
tool derived from coding and as malicious as its current use is, it has equal opportunity to help protect and defend our personal and national interests. The term hacker is difficult to define due to its multiple definitions throughout the history however today’s definition derived from MIT during the ‘80s. MIT was the first school to offer classes in computer engineering and in the student’s free time, they would play with computer software, making it execute commands not originally intended by the creator. The spirit of adventure drove these first steps by the new age hackers and once the World Wide Web was introduced, it could
be done wirelessly and to other computers. This new generation of hackers began using the Internet to push boundaries of what was possible. They began to test their own creative computer based limits, trying to create chaos and destroy property on the largest scale possible. The reason for these actions was and still is simply, “because I can.” The first malwares to crash PC’s caused a Pac man to come on screen and the hard drives to fail, their victims watching helplessly as hackers continued to anonymously cause damage. Hacks like these represented the height of public hacking exploration, but soon it turned into a commercial business. As soon as hackers realized that they could turn their recreational activity into a financial institution, a great divide in the community occurred.
Derived from western movies, hackers began to associate themselves as either a ‘white hat’ or a ‘black hat’. A ‘white hat’ hacker uses their skills in nonmalicious purposes, either working to protect a company’s private information from ‘black hat’
“As it has grown over the past few years, the degree of hacking has gone from attacking on a large scale to a very personal level.”
hackers. A ‘black hat ‘hacker uses their skills to break security systems, commi credit card theft, identity theft, and piracy. The most recent incen-
Chinese Hackers find Holes in U By HELENA DAVILA On Jan. 30, the computers of The New York Times, one of America’s largest news suppliers, was hacked. Days later, The Washington Post, Facebook, and Twitter were added to the growing list of victims. The culprit? The Chinese Government. After extensive investigations, the U.S. government was able to track the source of the hacking to a government owned building located in a busy metropolitan region in China, but was unable to shut it down. It was also noted that many of the hacking techniques were the same as used by the Chinese military in the past. The question, then, isn’t who, but why. The New York Times was hacked just after an investigative piece written on the Chinese Prime minister, published in October. The Washington Post, and
the e-mails, and personal accounts of other various journalists were hacked because they had published similar articles or commentaries regarding the Chinese. The hacking has targeted US Defense Companies, public media organizations, various social media, and activists all active in Chinese dissidence. At the New York Times, the passwords of fifty-three NYT employees were stolen and used to gain access to their personal computers. It quickly became clear that the Chinese were sleuthing for the anonymous sources who had been mentioned or used for reference in the Times’ article. It’s likely that the other companies who have been affected by the hackers have been targeted for the same reason. The Chinese foreign ministry has denied any involvement with the attacks, stating, “...all such alleged
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ANTONOVA, ALEX HAWKER, ZOE SERBIN HICS: ALEX HAWKER
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tive for hacking however is neither exploration or financial but political. Hacking groups such as Jester, Wikileaks, and Anonymous believe that the depth to which they can hack should be feared by countries and corporations. This new motivation has brought along with it the generation of hacking wars. Now, between countries such as America and China, hacking is becoming a tool of warfare. The Pentagon has set up Cybercom to respond to and to protect our classified information. From controlling nuclear power plants to drones, hacking has become a serious player and a global threat. However as soon as the ‘black hats’ figure out a new hack, it won’t be long before the ‘white hats’ figure it out and stop them in an endless cat-andmouse game.
US Companies attacks are groundless, irresponsible accusations lacking solid proof or reliable research results.” It’s most likely that the hackers used a ‘Spear fishing’ technique to gain access into the company’s systems. In spear fishing, the hackers send an e-mail to the address of an employee with a malicious link. Once the link has been clicked, the hackers can gain access into the system to find further, more private information that can be used to hack entire systems, or large numbers of computers at one time. Though all affected companies have taken precautionary measures to prevent hacking and reinforced protective software after the attacks, experts say second attacks are still highly likely.
The Bloodless Future of War By ALEX HAWKER In the future of war, there may be no death, blood, or even direct human participation. The wars of tomorrow may be fought using technological proxies. Remote-control drones fighting each other for aerial superiority while Terminator-style robots fight on the ground may be the way of the future. Even further behind the scenes than the operators of these fighters, government hackers attempt to wrest control of these drones, destroy rival countries’ infrastructures, and foil the plots of enemy hackers. While this scenario may seem like science fiction, it is already beginning to happen today, with drones seeing combat in the Middle East and many instances of hacking occurring, from China’s corporate espionage to the suspected American and Israeli sabotage of Iran’s nuclear program. Yet there are still many
misunderstandings about this new technology. Drones have received a lot of negative media attention, despite behaving just like existing aircraft. What is the difference between an Apache Helicopter destroying a convoy with a missile and a Predator drone destroying the same convoy with the same missile? The main problem that needs examining is our strategy on dealing with guerilla warfare, rather than the drone itself. Another interesting aspect of this change in technology is that it will likely not affect the dynamics of war at all. When one side runs out of drones, the same thing happens as if they ran out of troops – they surrender and sign a peace agreement. A final potential fear is that something described in the movie Terminator will occur, which is extremely unlikely. Everything at the moment is still run by humans, and even
if it was not, the consistency of computers seems safer than the unpredictably of humans such as all of the atrocities committed in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of biggest downsides to this change would be that, since the opposing combatants are dehumanized robots, countries are more likely to start wars. However, this situation is offset by the global economy of the modern era, where trading is the key to one’s economy and the deficits owed to other nations make war extremely unprofitable For example, China would lose trade and its almost $ 1 trillion stake in U.S. debt. However, this would be far outshone by the positive this technology would bring – almost no deaths from war. If this is the way of the future then even if wars became more frequent, the number of casualties would still be far less.
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Feature
YOU TUBE
VIRAL YOUTUBE FADS By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES & CATY LAFITTE
“Gangnam Style” By: officialpsy 1,431,040,280 views
“Sh*t Girlfriends Say” By: Kelsey Darragh 7,696,183 views
What’s trending on YouTube? Check out a few of our favorites. “Coning” By: stevensalki 9,751,267 views
“Harlem Shake” By: DizastaMusic 39,355,579 views
Feature
Before They Were Teachers...
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Martha Elliott
Bojana Hill
nglish teacher Ms. Bojana Hill was born and raised in Belgrade, the capital of former Yugoslavia. “Belgrade was a big, vibrant city, rich with culture and history,” said Ms. Hill. “I received a great education, including ten years of music school, where I played violin.” While Ms. Hill was growing up, President Tito was a leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which was comprised of seven republics, so she was exposed to many different cultures. “People tended to stay in one place, so I had many deep friendships. The overall pace of life was much slower than it is here in the U.S. I had friends in Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Slovenia, and Kosovo and we all called each other Yugoslavs.” “In my worst nightmares I could not have predicted the bloody civil war, which erupted six years after I left Yugoslavia.” While Ms. Hill was working as a summer tour guide for the British tourists in Dubrovnik, Croatia, she met her future husband, who is American. It was “a whirlwind love story and six months later, I was in California.” Ms. Hill’s Bachelor of Arts degree is in Comparative Literature from the University of Belgrade where she studied English and Italian languages and world literature. Her Master’s degree is also in Comparative Literature, but from UCSB. She then went on to Antioch University to get her second Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. After Ms. Hill came to California and received her MA, she taught at UCSB, Allan Hancock College, and Santa Barbara City College before coming to Laguna. “Of course my main ‘job’ was raising two children—a son and a daughter!” “When I first came to the U.S., I was considering my educational and career options. A year later, I took an evening class in American Literature at Allan Hancock University, and I knew then that I wanted to teach English. It was an exciting discovery, like falling in love,” said Ms. Hill. Ms. Hill had always loved literature, music, psychology, languages, writing, and theater arts. “Clearly I was heading in the direction of the career in the humanities. I wanted a creative, stimulating, and meaningful job, and teaching was the natural choice.” Today, in addition to being the sophomore English teacher and the AP English Literature teacher, Ms. Hill also works as a therapist-in-training and enjoys it very much. “It is a form of spiritual growth and another meaningful life experience.”
M
s. Martha Elliott hasn’t always been a Laguna history teacher. From being a teacher at Columbia Journalism School, to becoming a television producer, and then being the Editor-in-Chief a newspaper, Ms. Elliott has done it all in the world of journalism. She started out by going to Vassar University and then Williams College for her undergraduate education, majoring in political science with an American studies concentration, and minoring in art history, though initially wanting to be a drama major. “I didn’t decide to go into journalism until I was a senior after working at a newspaper that summer. So I applied to Columbia Journalism School,” said Ms. Elliott. “I knew I wanted to do TV and I loved it from the start.” She then met Fred Friendly, the head of CBS at the time, who inspired her to continue pursuing journalism, and even asked her to stay at Columbia and teach there, which is what she did for the next 15 years, mostly part-time. Ms. Elliott worked at NBC in the documentaries department, covering stories such as the coal strike where a policeman shot at her, and also at PBS and in the Media and Society Seminars at Columbia. “Over my career I produced hundreds of television programs and wrote three books with Fred. I met Supreme Court Justices, former presidents, amazing journalists, doctors, lawyers, ethicists, criminals— you name it,” said Elliott. Then, she went to work for Steve Brill, founder of Court TV and the American Lawyer magazine. Here Ms. Elliott became the Editor-in-Chief of the Connecticut Law Tribune, a weekly newspaper for lawyers, and was one of the producers for Court TV. “One of the documentaries was on Jean Harris, the Madeira Headmistress who shot Herman Tarnower, the Scarsdale diet doctor. We did a program showing that she had been unjustly convicted and Governor Cuomo gave her a pardon. That was where I met Michael Ross, the serial killer on death row, who I am finishing a book on. I talked to him for 10 years and went to his execution. That was the hardest story of my career.” “I had never thought of being a teacher, but started at Columbia. It was the same kind of thing at Laguna.” She taught middle school for one year, and then former headmaster Doug Jessup asked her to come back and teach one class at the high school. “Next thing I knew I was teaching full time, and I like it better than teaching graduate school.”
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April 8, 2013
I
By CATY LAFITTE
Kevin Shertzer
t doesn’t happen often in high school when your soccer coach is a former professional soccer player. Mr. Shertzer went to Yale University and majored in history, and to University of Santa Barbara California for graduate school to get his teaching credential for education. He joined the Yale soccer team as a freshman, playing left midfield and center midfield, when the team had just made it to the final eight of the NCAA tournament the year before. His recruiting class was fantastic. “We were written up as the best in the U.S.,” said Mr. Shertzer. “There was a guy on the U-17 World Cup team, and three regional players. Unfortunately, all but myself quit for various reasons. We were terrible my sophomore year and junior year and then these guys rejoined my senior year and we actually had a decent year.” Mr. Shertzer actually held a record at Yale for the most minutes played in a Yale jersey. “I remember not liking college soccer very much though. It was extremely rough and more emphasis was placed on whether you could physically beat people up on the field instead of skill. But overall, I’m happy that I did it. Most of my best friends throughout college came from the team.” After graduating from Yale, he played at the state level for someone who started a Cincinnati team, which was known as the A-League, which is right below the Major League Soccer. “He asked me to play right after college and it was incredible. We were an average team in the league but it was crazy in my mind to get paid to play a game I love. “To have the opportunity to have played professionally was a lot of fun. “The coolest thing I remember from this time was once a year, we played our parent team, which was the Columbus Crew. “A stadium of 10,000 people…so loud you could barely hear your team screaming at you five feet away. We were also allowed to train with the Crew for two weeks after the season, so I got to play smallsided games with the likes of Brian McBride.” But Shertzer’s soccer career was cut short after about a year when he was injured and couldn’t walk for a couple weeks. “I figured it was time to hang up the boots and start something else.” “I had coached soccer in high school and in college and loved working with children. Combined with my love of history, teaching seemed like a perfect fit.” (Read more of the interviews on thefourthestate.net)
Nostalgic for Cartoons
S
By MARGARET LAZAROVITS
aturday is the only day kids rise earlier than the sun without complaining. Perhaps the fondest memory of any child born in the early to mid 1990s is excitingly jumping from our warm beds, preparing a hasty breakfast of sugary cereal and milk, and planting themselves, still a bundle of blankets and pajamas, in front of the television set because the time they had been eagerly waiting for all week had come: magical Saturday mornings. Sadly, as high school students on the verge of adulthood we desperately long to reclaim the time and energy so abundant to us in our younger years. Teenagers and young adults today, facing a world of responsibility, attempt to cling to that glorious era of nap times and recess, that time that is forever preserved in an aura of pinkyswears and double-dog-dares. So, when we return to this time in our memories, it is always good; we always smile. So, let’s smile once more. Through the cartoons of our childhood, we can indulge our feelings of nostalgia. Cartoons feature colorful characters and silly plot lines. The freedom from logic and reality in cartoons echo the freedom from responsibility we enjoyed once and greatly miss now. Perhaps the most beloved of all childhood cartoons centers on a certain sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Nickel-
odeon’s “SpongeBob” is the quintessential nonsensical cartoon. It pretty much defies all laws of physics and logic: taking place entirely underwater, fires can be kept ablaze and a certain land-dweller has her own “freshair dome.” The characters embark on absurd adventures and have exaggerated personalities that children easily respond to. Another beloved cartoon of the 90s is Nickelodeon’s Hey Arnold!, centering around “football head” Arnold, who attempts to navigate the big city life and gives help to his friends when they need it. Arnold is a kind-hearted, lovable main character while is best friend and foil, Gerald, highlights Arnold’s attributes and sometimes acts as the voice of reason. Opposite Arnold is Helga, who masks her feelings for Arnold and her insecurities through her bullying, tomboyish style; Helga’s best friend Phoebe has a similar relationship to that of Arnold and Gerald. The simple conflicts that Arnold, Helga and the rest of the characters encounter last an episode and create an easy-to-follow plot line for young children watching the cartoon. However, it is not until “Hey Arnold!s” origi-
nal viewers have grown that they begin to pick up on hints of deeper issues. Writers often imply that Helga’s overall family dynamic is less than idyllic: her father is a workaholic and her mother is an alcoholic and her sister, Olga, is a perfectionist. So, while this show was, and still is, a preservation and reminder of a carefree time, the writers have been sure to not let us forget that reality can still intervene. And, at this time in our lives, we are acutely aware of the reality around us, and that college and careers are just around the corner. However, it is rather odd to look back on a favorite childhood cartoon and realize that you are at the same point in your life as the main character, who back then seemed so old and mature. Much-loved teenage cheerleader and crime-fighter Kim Possible served as a model for young girls when they reached high school. Looking back and realizing that most of us soon will be where the series finale left Kim, on her graduation day, is almost a surreal experience to see that we have surpassed the characters we held so dearly and looked up to. With a bit of imagination, those same characters offer us a way back to the carefree Saturday mornings. GRAPHICS: ANGUS WATTERS
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12
Sports
April 8, 2013
By CAITLIN CONNOR
Controlling Concentration
In 2009, Serena Williams displayed no emotional control during her public threatening of a line judge. After an incorrect call at the US Open in a semi-finals match against Kim Clijsters, Williams went into a fit of wild anger abusively directed toward the line judge, throwing vulgar insults, and claiming she would kill her. In one of the ugliest endings to a match, Williams was docked match point, giving the win to Clijsters. The abuse resulted in a $10,000 fine, as well as a year of suspension. However, this behavior is not unusual for athletes. Fellow professional tennis player Jimmy Conners had numerous similar outbursts. After one such tantrum at the US Open, Connors moved on to play brilliantly, continuing on to win the match and again moving on in the tournament. It is not uncommon for athletes, both professional and amateur, to lose their composure. Quite often basketball players are seen yelling, cursing, and spitting at officials. Hockey and football players are frequently pulled apart from one another during fights. But what mental conditions or stresses can be so egregious to force
players to such measures? Perfectionism. While some prefer to compartmentalize their emotions during high pressure situations, other elite athletes turn to the anger strategically. As said by Cal Botterill, an ex-psychologist who worked with the Chicago Blackhawks, to TIME magazine, “the very best athletes can use their emotions -- and anger is one of them -- to push their performance up.” Anger increases blood pressure, heart rate, and lung respiration while adrenaline swells. The physical reaction to such emotion can heighten alertness, boost energy, and speed up reactions. A multi-sport player, junior Andrew Vignolo is no stranger to heightened anger on court, but instead of letting it get to him as it did Williams, Andrew tries to move on. “I try to focus on my next play. My coach says to play every point like its a game, a game to one point. If I lost the last point, I forget about it, but I make sure to make up for it,” says the junior. Andrew is like many other players, preferring emotional composure after a mistake. The emotional rampages that are displayed by some athletes, however, can be double edged swords. In such sports as golf, temper tantrums, such
ART: ZOE SERBIN
By SCOTT JOHNSTON
Weightlifting trend to build muscles popular at gyms By JESSIE DUSEBOUT
T
passing her a couple meters before the finish line. Her facial expression was priceless.”
Student Dominates National Squash Competitions
Getting Swole
hese days it is not uncommon to hear students on campus say let’s go get “swole,” “yoked,” or “big.” It is in some sense becoming the new fad. “We do it to be strong, fit, and a dominant force on the field,” said sophomore Stephen McCaffery. Like anything, there are pros and cons to weightlifting; benefits and dangers essentially. While weightlifting has obvious benefits such as strengthening one’s bones and muscles as well as improving one’s heart health, the numerous dangers have also been brought to light. Most of the dangers revolve around being naive to the proper techniques and details necessary to ensure full safety while participating. And this means that there is an increased risk for those just starting to weightlift. “You have to make sure you have the technique down before you lift heavy. It’s all about light weight and technique and once you get that down it is all about heavy weight and technique. Having a spotter is very important,” said sophomore Parker Rusack. If proper techniques are not used one can put too much stress on certain joints and muscles, which can result in an
as those thrown by the likes of Tiger Woods, can wreck havoc where fine motor control is essential. Such a double edge is shown in football. Anger can empower a blitzing lineman, where as the same exhibition of emotion could compromise a quarterback’s judgement. Senior cross country runner Marla Bonser is not one to let emotion cloud her mental state. She does, however, use it to power her motivation: “I was running besides a girl in a race and I noticed she was really struggling. I said some encouraging words to her and for most of the race we ran alongside each other, but as we turned a corner she pushed off me and sprinted past me. I was shocked and let her go, but on the last mile I was determined to catch her. I picked it up and ended up
imbalance of muscle strength or injury to one’s muscle and bone structures. Some important things to remember while lifting are to get a good warm up, focus on proper form, not to rush the process, and to have a spotter on the lifts that require it. These are the small details that can make the difference between weightlifting safely and effectively and straining a muscle or injuring a joint. Parker experienced first hand how serious something as simple as not having a spotter can be. “I was just doing my own thing one day on the turf and I heard a guy yell “help.” When I looked over the guy had the weight on his face and it was smashing his face. I had to run over and help him,” said Parker. The sport in itself, when executed correctly, is effective in helping people meet their goal of getting “buff.” When it is carried out sloppily the negative effects on one’s body can be detrimental for their entire life, if not lethal. Careful, proper execution is key. “It’s just a good feeling to be fit because it allows you to be a better athlete and it helps prevent injury,” said junior Conrad Perry.
Junior Daniel Reisman is ranked in the national top 100 for his age division in squash. In the month of February alone, he placed second in two nationwide tournaments. In early February, Daniel competed in the Rose Bud Junior Championship in Portland, Oregon and came in second in the under 19 tournament. Later, he participated in the Bay Club Silicon Valley Junior Open in the Bat Area of California, and came in second for the under 17 tournament. Daniel started playing squash when he was just two years old. His father played and Daniel was always on the court with him, so it came naturally. He practices at the Santa Barbara Athletic Club. Daniel temporarily stopped playing so he could play other sports such as basketball, soccer, and baseball a few years ago. He picked the sport up again about five years ago and said, “I wish I had stuck with it.” The thing that Daniel likes most about squash, “is knowing that is always constantly playing. There are not really many breaks, and it is a continuous game. It’s a test of endurance not just how good you are.” Since he had been competing, Daniel has won many first, second, and third place awards and has been very successful. Daniel has received prizes such as racquets, plaques, and trophies for his
Fun Facts about Squash!
• The color of a squash ball
denotes its speed and skill level; yellow is super slow for advanced players, red is medium for recreational players, and blue is fast for beginner players. A “Mizuki” shot is a type of squash hit similar to a volley, but hit with one’s wrist twisted while hitting the ball. In a one hour game of squash, a player will use between 600 and 1000 Calories. The sport used to be called squash rackets.
• • •
accomplishments. “I play about in about 10 big tournaments a year and win each year about four of five of them.” Daniel is not yet sure of which tournament he will play in next, but said it will be in the upcoming month or two and will probably be in the Bay Area.
PHOTO: DANIEL REISMAN
PHOTO: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA
STRAIGHT DRIVE: Daniel Reisman winds up to crush the ball.
Featured Athletes of the Issue PHOTOS: MILES CRIST
Jessie Dusebout
Spenser Wyatt
“Jessie is one of the most supportive and encouraging players ever. She gives one hundred percent all the time, and I’m so glad she’s on the team; it would not be the same without her.” -Hannah White
“Playing volleyball with Spenser is truly delightful. When he goes up to serve, people routinely lose their composure. He is the most consistent player on our team. He is a great captain, putting us in the best position to win.”
-Scott Johnston
Eli Bittleston “Eli is a force to reckon with in the middle. He is literally a brick wall when he gets up to block. Hitters simply don’t just hit through Eli’s block. He is also a threat on offense in the middle, hitting 1s, 3s, and Back 1s.”
-Stephen McCaffery
Cole Strachan “Cole Strachan... the even par shooting machine. Cole Strachan has recently caught fire on the golf course. He is literally putting the team on his back . . . He is single-handily giving our team a CIF bid. All hail C-Strachan.”
-Jack Kinsler
Margaret Lazarovits “Margaret is always enthusiastic and makes lacrosse practice so much fun! She’s a great team captain and helps the girls around her get better. We all recognize her as a committed player, and we appreciate her part on the team.”
-Alexa Davenport
Quentin Tedesco “Quentin is an overall amazing player, and he is also a great leader to the team. He is always willing to help everyone and he plays the best he can in games and practice.” -Darwin Miguel
Sports
April 8, 2013
#2 OWLS OFF TO A GOOD START
PHOTO: STEPHEN MCCAFFERY
GOAL!: Attackman Quentin Tedesco jumps around the crease for a shot on goal.
BOYS LAX IS BACK AT LAGUNA BLANCA By SCOTT JOHNSTON
C
omprised almost entirely of freshmen, the Boys Varsity Lacrosse team has high hopes for this season. Ethan Shapiro coaches the team. “He is an experienced coach with a lot of knowledge about the game and is very fun to work with,” said freshman attackman Christian Fowler. In the team’s first game of the year, the Owls lost to Ojai Valley School 8-9 in overtime. Captain junior Quentin Tedesco scored seven goals in the game and Christian scored one. “I thought that it was a hard loss, but we played well for our first game. I think we will improve greatly and have a good season,” said Quentin. Freshman Ben Rios also thought that the team played well and said, “It was our first game, and I think that we were just nervous.” They earned their first victory over Sierra Canyon by a score of 14-3 in the second game. Quentin led the team in goals with nine, followed by Christian with three goals and junior Daniel Moghtader with two. Freshman goalie Darwin Miguel had eight saves. On the victory, Darwin said, “This game was a lot better. I think we were just nervous the first game and weren’t as focused as we should have been.”
VARSITY: The Laguna Blanca Boys Varsity Volleyball team was ranked second in the Preseason Divison 5 CIF-SS rankings and is primed to make a deep run this year. The Owls have maintained that ranking to the midway point. Players on the team have high expectations for this year, such as Sophomore Ethan Katnic who said, “As the #2 seed in CIF, we expect to make a solid run at the title.” The Owls started out 4-2 overall and 1-0 in Condor League play. The team opened the season by defeating Carpinteria High School in three sets. The Owls dropped the next two against tough competition in higher divisions, losing to Brentwood and Viewpoint. The Owls lost in four sets to Brentwood and in five against Viewpoint, last year’s Division 5 CIF-SS runner-up Laguna recovered from these two losses with a win over Santa Ynez in four sets. The team encountered some interesting situations against Santa Ynez. There was a scoreboard malfunction in the third game that forced the Owls to get 26 points in the set, rather than the usual 25. Late in the fourth set, the Santa Ynez Pirates only had five eligible players to play. Coach Dillan Bennett said, “You don’t see that everyday, and our guys stayed tough and focused on the task at hand.” Laguna’s first league win came against Dunn School. The Owls handled them easily, sweeping the Earwigs 3-0. Junior Colton Johnson has been racking up kills all season and said, “I feel that we are steadily improving and are doing pretty well so far. I expect that we will continue to improve and do well for the rest of the season.” After this array of games, the boys played in and hosted the first annual Laguna Blanca Boys Classic at Bishop Garcia Diego High School. Laguna finished 7th place
By SCOTT JOHNSTON
PHOTO: JOHN MCCAFFERY 1-2-3-ROOF!: Middle Blocker Andrew Vignolo and Outside Hitter Stephen McCaffery deny an attempt up the middle from Channel Islands.
overall and won the Silver Division. The team started off pool play against St. Joseph. Laguna lost to St. Joseph, but rebounded with a win over Orcutt. In the last match of pool play, they played the Saddleback Valley Christian Warriors, the #1 team in Division 5 CIF-SS. The first set was very close, but Saddleback was able to push past the Owls, winning 23-25. In the second set, the score was not as close, as the Warriors won by 10. These two losses put the Owls in the Silver Division, where they had more success.
PHOTO: MORGAN GAINEY
INNER DRIVE: Margaret Lazarovits drives the ball downfield.
In the semifinals, they defeated third ranked Ontario Christian. Laguna went on to beat Santa Maria in the Silver Division finals. Coach Dillan Bennett said, “I think our guys are learning how to play together and learning to compete as a team.” Dillan also said that so far, the season has been challenging due to the teams very hard schedule, but that they are getting better every day. “My expectation is always to do the very best I can for this team. I believe as a team, if we play our best and improve throughout the remainder of the season, we have a great
shot at winning a CIF title. We obviously have our eyes set on getting the Condor League title back at our place, and we also want to place well in the Viewpoint Tournament in late April.” JUNIOR VARSITY: The Boys Junior Varsity Volleyball team had a rough start to the season, starting 0-3. In their first game against Carpinteria High School, the Owls not only lost the game in two sets, but the teams very talented and experienced middle-blocker, sophomore John Ligon, sprained his ankle and has most likely been sidelined for the remainder of the season. Fellow sophomore and first year player Thomas Sloan has stepped up in John’s absence and is now playing middle blocker. On the key injury, Thomas said, “It is tough for our team to lose such a key player. This makes a lot of the newer guys step up and play more than they usually would.” In their second game the Owls lost in two sets against Brentwood School. They then played Viewpoint and lost the very competitive game in three sets. The team got their first win against Santa Ynez in a very close game from start to finish, and then Laguna beat Oak Grove in their next game. Sophomore setter and captain Spenser Wyatt twisted his ankle the day before the game and the team was forced to fight through the adversity. Sophomore Conner Warren was asked to step up and play setter alongside freshman Mikey Hawker, and he did just that. The Owls are coached by Laguna’s Coordinator of Isham Library and Nylen Academic Research Center and alum, Blake Dorfman (‘02), who played volleyball when he attended Laguna. Thomas also said, “We lack experience, but with [Coach Dorfman’s] help, we can win Condor League.”
Golf Team Undefeated at Midway Point
LAGUNA GIRLS JOIN THE CLUB LACROSSE SCENE By SCOTT JOHNSTON The Laguna girls lacrosse members play on a club team with other girls from the Santa Barbara area. The team has had two games so far, losing both. The girls have travelled to Encino, CA both times to play. The first game was against Valley Lacrosse from Chaminade, and the most recent game was against West Los Angeles. The players from Laguna are junior Margaret Lazarovtis, senior Clarissa Coburn, junior Maya Christian, sophomore Alexa Davenport, sophomore Sarah Butler, and freshman Emily Powers. Jeannette Villapiano and Marissa Hill coach the team, and they practice three days each week. There are at least eight players at each practice. “Although we’ve yet to win a game, all the girls have done extremely well considering that this is their first year playing,” said junior Margaret Lazarovits.
13
PHOTO: STEPHEN MCCAFFERY
SLICE IT UP: Co-Captain Benji Sorensen powers a
Boys Tennis Slices through the Season; Still Undefeated By CAITLIN CONNOR In a sweeping opener, the Owls were quick to bring the heat against Orcutt Academy. The match, resulting in a 12-6 win for the boys, was played by a strong team. Although only practicing together once before, the team was comprised of many returning players. Junior Ben Furukawa, fellow junior Tristan Prinz, and freshman Phillip Hicks each took all three of their sets. The same dedication has been seen throughout the season. In a tough match against the larger Rio Mesa, the Owls were able to pull out a win in the 9-9 set tie by a difference of two games (75-73). Senior doubles team Eddie Conk and Benjamin Sorenson gave won all three sets (6-2, 6-4, 6-2). Down in the third and final set of matches it was crucial that Laguna win four of the six. Coming from behind, Tristan was able to give the team that final set,
winning 7-5. The win demonstrated the huge changes in the tennis team. Last year Rio Mesa had defeated the Owls 13-5. The next three wins passed easily for the team. After bettering Nordhoff 16-2, the boys went on to play Bishop Diego in a non-league match. Tristan and Ben glided past opposition taking three sets each, while the doubles teams took five of their nine sets. The match ended in a 13-5 win for the Owls. In their first Condor League match, the boys went 17-1 against Dunn. Singles players Ben, Tristan, and Phillip dropping only six games combined. The Owls earned their second league victory with a 18-0 win over Coast Union Laguna Blanca continued their undefeated streak, beating Cate 11-7 for the first time in many years. The Owls improved their record to 7-0, 3-0 with the win.
By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY After a successful 2012 sealowed Cole with a strong 39. son, the Laguna Blanca Golf The third match of the seateam started the 2013 season son was scheduled for a comwith very high expectations. petition versus Dunn School The team has proved to at the Alisal River Course but meet those expectations with was postponed due to rain. three dominating victories The Owls then travelled to over Villanova Preparatory the Dairy Creek Golf Course School, twice, and Mission to take on Mission Prep. Preparatory School. Laguna claimed a 198-272 vicIn the first match of the tory over Mission Prep behind season, the Owls faced off Strachan’s one-over 37 and against Villanova PreparaMashhoon’s 38. tory School at the La Cumbre “This season has gone Country Club. really well so far. I’m really Junior Captain Kiyan impressed with freshman Mashoon led the way with a Mark Brown for stepping 38, followed by sophomore up and playing his best golf Jack Kinsler, who shot a 38. during matches. We already Laguna won the competibroke our scoring goal of 200 tion by the score 215-267. as we shot 198 against MisA week later, Laguna travsion Prep. We’re only going to elled to Soul Park in Ojai to improve more this year,” said play Villanova Prep again. Kiyan. Sophomore Cole Strachan In the last match before the shot an even-par 36. Spring Break, Laguna hosted “Cole carried the team Bishop Diego. The Owls on his back with his stellar picked up a dominating 212performance,” said playing 281 victory, improving their partner Jack Kinsler. record to 4-0. Freshman Travis Fristoe fol-
PHOTO: STEPHEN MCCAFFERY
DRIVING AWAY THE COMPETITION: Jack Kinsler hits his drive on the 3 tee at La Cumbre Country Club in the opening match of the season against Villanova Prep. rd
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April 8, 2013
Stage Band Brings an Eclectic Set List to the Crocodile Restaurant
A&E Laguna’s Soundtrack for Life By HELENA DAVILA & MARGARET LAZAROVITS
By STEPHEN MCCAFFERY On March 2, the Laguna Blanca Stage Band performed for a generous crowd at the Crocodile Restaurant & Bar. Many members of the Laguna Blanca faculty came out to support the band in their performance. The band played a 20 song set with a variety of genres, including: Latin jazz, gypsy jazz, jazz standards, bossa novas, blues and funk. “The set list for the Crocodile Gig was enjoyable to play because it incorporated all of the genres we have been learning and mastering this year. The performance showed off the progress we have made, and I think it was our best performance yet,” said junior Conrad Perry who plays the saxophone. Junior Grace Woolf was featured as a guest vocalist. She accompanied the group for the jazz standard “Softly as the Morning Sunrise.” After closing with some of the groups classic grooves of “Greasy G” and “Sunny,” the crowd wanted an encore. The Stage Band finished off with “Watermelon Man” by Herbie Hancock for the encore. “The Stage Band performed very well, and it was one of our best shows yet. It was great to see all the support out there from faculty members, but I wish more students would have come to support us,” said guitarist sophomore John Ligon. Guitarist Ryan Chiment said, “The Crocodile Gig went well. We didn’t have a lot of time to practice, so we did what we could. I think we played pretty well. We’re looking forward to the SoHo performance and many more in the future.”
Gravity -John MayerBuffalo Soldier -Bob MarleyThe Girl -City and ColourGive Me Love -Ed SheeranJust a Boy -Angus and Julia StoneHigh For This -The WeekendSweet and Low -AugustanaEleanor Rigby -The BeatlesPriscilla -Sea Wolf-
Little Talks -Of Monsters and MenWe are Young -Fun.I Will Wait -Mumford and SonsFly Me to the Moon -Frank SinatraRadioactive -Imagine DragonsGangster Party -SD and TupacLittle Black Submarines -The Black KeysWalking with a Ghost -Tegan and Sara-
Lights -Ellie GouldingGoGo Dancer -Lana Del ReyFirst Date -Blink 182Break -Three Days GraceMoney -Pink FloydWhen I Grow Up -Pussycat DollsLonely Boy -Black KeysGreyhound -Swedish House MafiaSail -AWOLNATION-
*Songs were chosen though submissions in a student poll
ART: ZOE SERBIN
Slam Poetry, the Power of Words By ANASTASIA ANTONOVA & HELENA DAVILA
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PHOTOS: PAUL CHIMENT Taking the Stage: (From top to bottom) John Ligon on guitar; Ryan Chiment on guitar, Conrad Perry on saxophone, and Travis Fristoe on guitar; Justin Bollag on drums; the Stage Band.
The first time I discovered spoken word poetry was this one time at summer camp. A friend of mine recited Katie Makkai’s “Pretty,” a thought-provoking and frankly frightening poem about one word defining a gender. I watched awestruck because not only was this poetry, it was a performance. I have watched the video of Katie Makkai perform that piece countless times ever since,” senior Anastasia Antonova said. Like all other slam poetry pieces, the words of this poem were not meant to be contained on a neat sheet of paper. They were meant to be read aloud. Just as in other media, spoken word, or “slam” poets are unique. Some are more forceful with their words, spitting them into the audience and daring them to respond, some talk with their hands, allowing them to dance along with the words. Spoken word poetry isn’t another dull poetry recital, it’s different and relevant. Often the poems are autobiographical such as “The Last Mile,” written by fifteenyear-old Noah St. John. In his performance—which can be found on YouTube—he speaks of hitting 100,000 miles on his family’s CRV with his two mothers. St. John’s poem exemplifies the spoken word movement. As a kid not even out of high school, he doesn’t use indecipherable language or complicated poetic structure; he uses his story—told in his own voice—to capture an audience and make them laugh and (literally) cry at the same time. Although Noah might be an exception for his age, his poem isn’t atypical for this genre. “I use poetry to help me work through what I don’t
understand, but I show up to each new poem with a backpack full of everywhere else that I’ve been,” said Spoken Word Poet Sarah Kay in a 2011 TEDx talk. Slam poems may also be social commentaries, often relating to LGBTQ issues, bullying, or body image. People say the art of storytelling is dead, but spoken word poetry is cyberstorytelling. Slam poetry is our generation’s version of storytelling. It is the product of accessibility and immediacy, both through its to-the-point, in-your-face style and its availability anywhere on YouTube. Ask any Slam Poet fanatic and they will tell you they’ve definitely spent a good part (or all) of an afternoon exploring the Internet for these new-age writers. The language is modern, not cryptic,
not full of strange allusions, illusions or words you’ve never heard of, but the power of the words are the same. “The first time I discovered spoken word poetry was actually by accident. I was busy frittering away my time in the depths of YouTube, when I stumbled upon a shaky hand-held recording of Andrea Gibson performing her poem, “Letter to a Playground Bully.” Her poetry, her words, were so unlike any other form of poetry I had ever read or seen recited that I was immediately hooked. I began to research and track-down these spoken word poets from the depths of YouTube and watch their performances; Lauren Zuniga, Sarah Kay, Joshua Bennett. Each poet was unique, their words strung together in verses and lines, words about love, anger, frustration and happiness,” senior Helena Davila said.
ART: ZOE SERBIN
Lifestyle
April 8, 2013
Recipe of the Month
Kickboxing is a great way to mix up your workout and try something new
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ardio kickboxing has recently become a workout phenomenon, as it is one of the highest calorieburning exercises. Not only does kickboxing raise your heart rate, but it’s also a great way to relieve stress, teach self-defense, and cross train for other sports. According to the Harvard Health Publications, kickboxing burns around 600 calories per hour for someone who weighs about 125 pounds, and around 744 calories per hour for someone who weighs about 155 pounds. Kickboxing uses nearly every muscle in the body, and isn’t just one type of workout—it ties in cardio, muscle tone, flexibility, and improves overall coordination. “Muay Thai Boxing,” or kickboxing, is a martial art that was originated in Thailand. Originally, this style of boxing was used as a way to advance one’s nobility, as well as a style of fighting that warriors practiced. Kickboxing then transitioned into a physical exercise, self-defense, and recreation. Warriors were the first to begin practicing kickboxing as a sport rather than a type of fighting. Rules were adopted, including one that made the use of gloves and other protective gear mandatory. Competitive kickboxing today is actually a mix between the Thai form of boxing and the Japanese form of martial arts. There are many studios in Santa Barbara with kickboxing classes, such as Martial Arts Family Fitness, Paragon Academy, Valhalla Elite Training Center, State Street Boxing Club, and others. At Martial Arts Family Fitness (MAFF), the classes are mixed with beginning and advanced students. A trainer teaches the class how to do each type of kick and punch step by step, as
By CATY LAFITTE well as giving useful tips for how to do each move safely and accurately. “Kickboxing is a great workout. It’s super fun and all the trainers at MAFF are very supportive. Also, there are always good beats to workout to there,” junior
Chloe Richman said. At the end of each class at MAFF, they add in an intense 15-minute core workout, doing exercises from sit-ups, to bicycle kicks, to one-minute planks. After that, the trainers take you through cool down stretches for the last five minutes. “Kickboxing is a great workout because it is so much fun and a great stress reliever. Any time I have had a bad day, I just go to kickboxing and get all my stress or anger out. It’s also really fun to do with friends and family,” junior Grace Woolf said. In kickboxing, you learn how to do many types of punches and kicks. The punches include the jab, the cross, the hook, the back hit, and the uppercut. The kicks include the front kick, the sidekick, the back kick, and the round-
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house kick. Unlike regular boxing, cardio kickboxing is done by kicking and punching bags and not other people. But even though you aren’t fighting real people doesn’t mean you can’t still get hurt. Some things to keep in mind to avoid injury when kickboxing are to not lock your joints when kicking or punching, don’t overextend when you kick, and drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. When you are first starting out with kickboxing, it is also recommended to wrap your hands with athletic wrap before you put on your gloves. Many new gloves can cause blistering between the knuckles and can be very painful when punching the bag. If you don’t do the moves correctly, you can also do major damage to your joints and muscles. In the roundhouse kick, the foot that is planted on the ground must pivot to the side while you bring your kicking leg up. Failing to do this can result in a pulled hamstring and can also severely injure the knee. Many of the kickboxing movements involve a strong focus on particular sets of muscles. To make sure you aren’t stressing any unused muscles, remember to relax. That way, you are preventing yourself from becoming injured. Something else that can lead to a potential injury is pushing yourself too hard. Make sure you know your limits when first going into a kickboxing class, and if the class ends up being too hard, take it at your own pace. GRAPHICS: ZOE SERBIN
By ALLISON LEWIS TOWBES Quinoa, Corn, and Kale Salad (Serves four) For sauce: 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon oregano One chopped garlic clove Salt and pepper For salad: 1 1/2 cups red quinoa 3 cups water 1 1/2 cups corn Chopped kale Chopped cherry tomatoes 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice Two avocados, chopped Extra Virgin Olive oil Before cooking the quinoa, prepare this easy lemon sauce:
1. In a small bowl, mix EVOO, balsam-
ic vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk until the ingredients mix (they will separate after a while). 2. Add the oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Let sit while the quinoa cooks, then strain the sauce into a separate bowl to remove the garlic pieces. Pour into the mixing bowl with the quinoa and serve. 3. Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Pour water and quinoa into large sauce pan. Put stove on high until water boils, then turn heat down to a simmer. Keep covered. Let quinoa cook until quinoa germ unfurls and water is completely absorbed. Once the quinoa is cooked through, pour into a large bowl. (WARNING: Quinoa expands as it is cooked, so be careful to pick a decent sized saucepan) 4. In a wok (or a frying pan), heat the olive oil, then pour in the chopped cherry tomatoes. Heat so that tomatoes are warm, but still firm. Pour in corn. After both the corn and the tomatoes are sufficiently cooked through, pour in the shopped kale and the lemon juice. Heat the mixture though, then pour into bowl with the quinoa. Mix thoroughly, then add in the sauce. Top with chopped avocados.
PHOTO: ZAC TOWBES
Drink Your Rainbow By OLIVIA BERCI Juicing has been credited as a cure for skin disease, immune disorders and high blood pressure, an aid in digestion, a wonder for weight loss, and even a risk reducer for cancer, but is juicing the elixir its producers and proponents claim it to be, or just another health fad? Some juicing critics argue that perhaps the benefits accredited to juice detox and cleaning are more psychological than bodily, but if you are not eating enough vegetables, drinking them is a positive way to up your intake. Juice fanatics say that juicing is better for you than eating fruits and vegetables because the body can better absorb nutrients, it is easier on the digestive system, and can help expel toxins from the body. However, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than eating the fruit or vegetable itself (Mayo Clinic). What is factual? Extracted juice does contain most of the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (substance found in certain plants which is believed to be beneficial to human health) found in the whole fruit or vegetable. However, whole fruits and vegetables also contain healthy fiber, which is lost during most juicing. Although the benefit of consuming fiber when drinking produce is lost, it does take less digestive energy to break down food in its liquid form. Heating and cooking vegetables does reduce some of its enzyme content.
Apple Kale Lemon Not all juice is created equally. Fruit and fruit concentration can steeply increase juice’s sugar level, and, consequently, up its calorie content. Commercially produced juice also tends to exclude pulp, which contains the healthy fiber that is helpful in keeping you full. The bottom line is that juicing probably is not any healthier than eating whole fruits and vegetables, and while green juice may not be the cure-all
Recipes Beet Carrot Apple Mint
some allege it to be, it can be nutritional when combined with a balanced, healthy diet. Like froyo dispensaries, cupcake shops, and acai bowl eateries have drawn fanatics and critics alike, juiceries are proving to do the same. The Juice Ranch, Santa Barbara’s first cold-pressed juice shop—locally
PHOTO: HELENA DAVILA
Grapefruit Carrot Ginger owned and locally sourced—which opened this past December, is slated to have new competition with the opening of a Montecito location for Pressed Juicery, which has been featured in Allure Magazine, Vanity Fair, and Us Weekly—to name only a few of the California company’s features. If you do buy into the health craze but don’t feel like dropping $13 on an 8 oz. bottle of juice, perhaps home juicing is an avenue worth exploring.
Back Page
April 8, 2013
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By ANASTASIA ANTONOVA, HELENA DAVILA, & ZOE SERBIN
It’s finally Springtime, which means the days are getting longer and the weather is getting warmer. Get off the couch and go outside! Check out our favorite Spring SoCal activities! The Santa Barbara Zoo is a great place to spend outside if you’re looking to do something local and low-key. Feeling ambitious? Head down to the Santa Monica Pier for everything from morning yoga classes to roller coasters!
Go for a bike ride! Santa Barbara is full of boardwalks, paved walkways and trails perfect for biking.
Pack a picnic and go for a hike with friends. Some of our favorite trails are Coldspring, Inspiration Point, and San Ysidro Trail. Elings Park and More Mesa are great picnic spots for relaxing afterwards.
Enjoy Cupcakes 2971 Grand Ave Los Olivos, CA Full of Life Flatbread 225 Bell Street Los Alamos, CA PHOTOS: ANASTASIA ANTONOVA AND HELENA DAVILA
Make a playlist, grab some friends, jump in a car, and take a road trip to our favorite just out-of-town eateries. If you’re looking to splurge on natural, reimagined soul food in a cozy environment, Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos is the perfect place to spend an evening. To satisfy your sweet tooth, stop by Enjoy Cupcakes in Los Olivos.